Save the date if you’re an online poker player because PokerStars has just announced the dates for this year’s WCOOP.
The annual World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) will return on September 10 for almost four weeks’ worth of tournament action until October 4. Topping the bill, as ever, will be the $10,300 WCOOP main event.
Many more tournaments will be added to the schedule in due course and, if early expectations are met, it could be the biggest WCOOP ever. Helping to fuel the hype ahead of this year’s marquee MTT series is PokerStars’ latest innovation: Power Path.
Power into WCOOP main event for $0.01
The new satellite system can take you from a $0.01 investment to the $10,300 WCOOP main event or, if you prefer, a European Poker Tour (EPT) tournament. Power Path isn’t necessarily a new concept. In essence, it’s a step system.
However, it’s more comprehensive than those that have gone before it. For starters, players can earn a Step 1 ticket by raking $0.01. After that, there are free tickets available every day for players who opt-in and complete specific challenges.
Alternatively, players can pay to enter any Step 1, 2, or 3 satellite. Finishing in a payout position earns you a ticket for the next step. The ultimate goal is to reach Step 4 and finish in one of the payout spots.
- Step 1 – $0.50 Spin & Go tournament
- Step 2 – $1 sit & go tournament or $1.50 multi-table tournament
- Step 3 – $11 multi-table tournament
- Step 4 – $109 multi-table tournament (qualifiers/ticket holders only – no direct buy-in allowed)
The steps shown above give you an overview of the system. They also show the multidisciplinary nature of Power Path. Although it’s possible to skip steps, players who want to grind up from the bottom need to compete in Spin & Go, sit & go, and multi-table tournaments.
Passes for all PokerStars events
Step 4 tickets have to be won, which means players can’t buy in directly. This should give recreational players just as much chance of getting into a finale as pros with big bankrolls. Those who make it into a Step 4 finale will be playing for one of the following prizes:
- A Bronze Power Pass worth $109. This pass can be used for selected PokerStars online poker tournaments or to re-enter Step 4 of Power Path.
- A Silver Power Pass worth $2,500. This pass can be used for selected regional live events or selected online poker tournaments.
- A Gold Power Pass worth $10,300. This pass can be used for any EPT live event or selected online poker tournaments, such as the WCOOP main event.
The revamped satellite system will be in full swing ahead of WCOOP 2023, so we may see bigger fields than last year. What’s more, the new system could help more players power their way to PokerStars EPT events across Europe in 2023 and 2024.
